You take it for granted that the Republican nominee is going to be Trump? I hope it will be someone like Ron deSantis, who I don't know if you would consider a Trump apprentice. He certainly doesn't lack personality.
Unfortunately it's going to be Trump. Ron DeSantis would run over any candidate they put him against. Harvard educated lawyer, served in the military, and carries no baggage with him.
Problem with the U.S. conservative base is the neocons are being hampered by the "MAGA" movement, a movement whose supporters are not typically fond of neocons themselves. So, they'll reject strict constitutional conservatives over a man that became conservative something like 5 minutes before he decided to run for President, and support anyone their cult leader tells them to.
Trump got the job done enough. Perhaps a useful idiot that was used by McConnell and all the rest. He was certainly a victim of malicious lies and endless investigations, part of which he holds responsibility. I'm sympathetic. But he's nothing but a liability for Republicans. Some of the Trump endorsed candidates for the 2022 U.S. senate races are beyond incompetent, and risk losing races that any other republican would win.
2024 could be landslide for Republicans if they select the right guy, but they most likely won't. Ron DeSantis still has about a year of political ground to gain before deciding whether he's in a position to primary Trump. The issue is, once you run against Trump and lose, you become damaged goods yourself. DeSantis might wait another election cycle too, always a possibility.
